27, Female, Pureblood
by The DG Forum
Summary: Ginny will do anything to find her One, but Draco Malfoy has other ideas.


This story was written for **The DG Forum's 2014 Summer Challenge**. The author chose to write for prompt#2. For further details, please see our profile!

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**27, Female, Pureblood**

Ginny stood in the middle of the crowded square, sheer determination the only thing that was preventing her knees from knocking together in the cold. Despite the sudden frost that had blown through London this morning, she hadn't even considered changing her outfit choice for the evening; she'd purchased the tightest black dress she could find earlier that day and donned her best push-up bra - the one that felt as though she'd been caught in a steel trap - and she was going to make the most of it, damn it. It was just a shame that her good coat was a little too thin for the weather, and that her sturdy winter boots didn't match the short hemline at all. It was also a shame that her date was running exactly thirteen minutes late - and counting.

Clenching her jaw, she pulled a piece of parchment from her handbag, adamant to distract herself from the cold. She discreetly slipped her wand out from the cleverly-disguised pocket in her sleeve, and tapped the page twice, watching as a dark ink began curl across the page. 'Stephen Dobbs' was written boldly at the top of the parchment, and Ginny took a long, hard look at the picture that had appeared just next to it, making sure to memorise the features of the man who smiled back at her; the dark, thinning hair, the solid jaw, the casual lilt to his smile. He looked wholesome, dependable, and all of the things she had ever wanted in a partner, and Ginny had a good feeling about him… except that he was late.

"Excuse me," someone said, and the rich, deep voice sent shivers down her spine as those two simple words washed over her.

Ginny hastily stuffed the parchment back into her purse, her lips curling into a smile as she turned to greet her date, only for her face to fall when she saw the man wasn't Stephen. This man had far lighter hair, neatly groomed, and a very decidedly unwholesome smile; one that made wicked promises and had her toes curling in anticipation. Her expression only soured further as she realised she knew this man - in fact, was forced to work with him on a regular basis.

"Draco," Ginny said curtly. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," he replied, as he looked her up and down, his attentive gaze lingering in places that made her face grow hot despite the cold. "You must be freezing. Why on earth are you standing outside in this weather?"

Ginny crossed her arms, trying to seem unperturbed. "I'm waiting for someone, in case that wasn't quite obvious enough for you."

"Ah, another date?" Draco asked with a smirk, and she didn't appreciate his tone at all. "Awfully inconsiderate of him to leave you alone out here, particularly with those legs on display."

She gave him an impatient look, then glanced about in case Stephen had shown up and been scared off by the presence of another man. "I don't have time for this 'inane banter' business we normally do, Draco."

His expression wavered. "Well, I can hardly leave you here alone, at night or in this weather."

"Right," she raised her brow at him sceptically. "You want to meet him."

"Of course I want to meet 'Harry' - and regale the office with all the sordid details on Monday morning," Draco replied with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes.

"His name is Stephen, and I would appreciate it if you didn't compare him to my ex. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"As vital as my presence is to most people's lives, I'm sure they can do without me for a while." Draco leant against the wall next to her casually, clearly not heading anywhere.

Ginny slumped next to him, trapped. She couldn't leave, or Stephen wouldn't be able to find her, and she couldn't force Draco to do anything, either; dealing with him at the Ministry had taught her that lesson years ago. "Fine, but as soon as he gets here you're going to leave. Clear?"

He studied her for a moment, then smirked. "Crystal," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "So, where is he?"

"I don't know," Ginny replied, lifting her head. "Maybe he got caught up with something."

This seemed to amuse Draco. "Typical Potter behaviour; dropping all existing plans at a moment's notice when something _urgent_ arises. Maybe he had to help an elderly witch cross the road."

Ginny thumped him hard on the arm. "Don't be ridiculous - Stephen isn't Harry."

"Right," Draco said grimly as something caught his eye, and he straightened. "Here comes Harry now."

"What?" Ginny glanced about then back to Draco, confused. "I don't see -"

"Excuse me," someone said, startling her, and she turned away from Draco to see a short, dark-haired man next to her. He gave her a worried look, then glanced curiously up at Draco.

"You must be Steve," Draco said, holding his hand out, and Stephen reluctantly shook it. "Draco Malfoy. I was just keeping the lady company while she waited alone in the cold."

"_Draco_," Ginny hissed, then turned her mega-watt smile to Stephen. "Stephen, it's a pleasure to meet you. Draco was just leaving."

Stephen looked rather vacant, as though he weren't entirely sure what was happening; she wondered if he needed glasses.

"Have fun, children," Draco said with a smirk, nodding at Ginny. "I'll see you on Monday. Steve, it was a pleasure."

Ginny watched Draco as he gave her a meaningful wink, then sauntered off to wherever it was nosey gits spent their free time. She turned to Stephen, her best smile gracing her lips. "Sorry about that. Shall we go?"

Stephen furrowed his brow at her. "Yeah," he said, then abruptly turned and headed back across the square, Ginny tripping over her heels to keep up with him.

**xxxx**

The onslaught of taunts greeted Ginny as soon as she stepped out of the office lift on Monday morning.

"How was your hot date, Ginevra?"

"Did you show him a good time?"

"When are you announcing your engagement?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, ignoring her coworker's unimaginative jibes as she made a beeline for Draco Malfoy's cubicle, and the man in question smirked at her as she walked through the partition. "How is it that you manage to spread news of my love life faster than a case of spattergroit? It's not even 9 o'clock yet."

"Blast interdepartmental memo," Draco told her matter-of-factly, then took a contemplative sip of his tea.

"I'm fairly confident that a department head needs to sign off on those things." Ginny crossed her arms just as the memo designated for her shot into the cubicle - likely having spent the early morning flitting across the office in search of her - the nose of the paper plane agitatedly nudging her arm. Draco gestured for her to open it as he reclined in his desk chair.

Ginny unfolded the parchment and scanned the contents. "Ah, you wrangled Percy into signing off on it. I'd be impressed if you weren't such a git."

"You should be impressed; talking him into it was no easy feat," Draco said, his smirk widening.

She scrunched the parchment into a ball and gave him a withering look. "Maybe you should save yourself the trouble and stop bothering everyone with my personal life."

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley. Your dating antics account for the majority of my entertainment each day, and a considerable amount for the rest of the office, too."

"You need to get out more." She pegged the ball of paper at his head. Draco leant to one side, and it bounced harmlessly off the wall behind him. "What time did Orla schedule the committee meeting?"

Draco looked somewhat deflated as he glanced at his calendar. "Half one. Are you going to see him again?"

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his question. "I'll see you in the meeting, Draco."

"That's a 'no,' then. Why don't I show you a real date and take you to lunch?"

"Sorry Casanova, but I'm looking for more than just a date," she replied dryly, then pointed at his In-Tray. "And you should be reviewing the meeting agenda."

Draco waved his hand. "These meetings are always the same. There are only so many cover stories you can invent when Muggles spot a house-elf in the frozen food aisle at Tesco's."

"If the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee is so beneath you, then don't bother coming to our meetings," Ginny said sweetly as she turned to leave.

"And miss the highlight of my week? Not a chance."

Ginny rolled her eyes again as she left his cubicle, heading for the line of closed offices at the back of the office. The young secretary whose desk stood sentry before them glanced up as she headed towards him, but when he saw who she was he quickly dropped his head again, knowing better than to stop her. She walked straight to the middle door, upon which a shiny plaque read 'Department Head of the Office of Misinformation', and she knocked briefly before heading straight in.

"Just a -" Percy began, then glanced up from a thick stack of parchment as the door clicked shut behind her. He seemed quite flustered. "How many times have I asked you to knock?"

"I did knock," she told him as she dropped into one of the chairs opposite his desk and folded her arms. "How many times have I told you not to enable Malfoy?"

"He raised a good point," Percy said unapologetically, returning his attention to the papers in front of him.

Ginny leant forwards, planting her hand in the middle of the page that held his attention, and he looked up at her again with displeasure. "I mean it, Percy. I know he's good, and I know you're bending over backwards to keep him from leaving your department, but I'm drawing the line with this; he's giving me a bad reputation."

"Ginny, I say this as your older brother who has nothing but your best interests at heart, but you are the only person responsible for your reputation. How many men have you dated this past month alone?"

"I don't see how that's anyone else's business," Ginny told him curtly.

Percy's face reddened slightly, even as he folded his hands on top of his desk in a calm manner. "You seem to have a date with a different man every week. People talk."

It was probably a good thing she was well-adjusted to Percy's blunt manner, or she would be totally offended. Unfortunately that didn't stop the comment from stinging. "That's unfair," she told him, standing up. "I don't see what's wrong with wanting to find my One; and I don't see what's wrong with being proactive about it, either."

"I just wish you would just be more…" Percy paused and looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "Discreet."

It wasn't difficult to miss his implication. "Discreet? I never - I mean, I wouldn't -" She stopped abruptly, her face flushing. "I am _not_ discussing this with you."

Ginny stormed from the office, and Percy didn't try to stop her; he was as well-adjusted to her temperament as she was to his. It was a childish thing to do, but if she couldn't be petulant towards her brother… well, when _could_ she?

**xxxx**

By half-one Ginny was thoroughly miffed with every person she'd encountered so far that day. She'd spent most of her morning burying herself under the Committee minutes from last week - not to mention any other parchment that happened to make it's way across her desk - purely in order to avoid her coworkers. She could barely even use the loo without someone recognising her mary-janes peeking out under the stall, then taking the time to offer a running commentary on her love-life while she tried to get a handle on her stage fright.

So, it was with inhuman force of will that Ginny restrained herself from snapping defensively when her assistant, Orla Quirke, thoughtfully advised her that they were going to be late for the meeting.

"The meeting can't start without us," Ginny replied tightly, attempting to relax her jaw as she gathered her reports and lead the way to the conference rooms at the front of the office.

When they arrived, the conference room was deserted, and after fifteen minutes of pacing Ginny felt a headache coming on. "I have a very brief errand to run upstairs," Ginny told her assistant. "If this room isn't full by the time I'm back, you may want to take the rest of the day off." Orla raised a brow at Ginny, unperturbed, and said nothing as she continued to flip through her copy of the meeting agenda.

Ginny stormed down the hall towards the lifts, fully intending to personally roundup each member herself - starting with their resident Office of Misinformation representative Draco Malfoy on level four, who she blamed beyond a shadow of a doubt for whatever in Merlin's name was going on here. She jammed her thumb against the button impatiently, then stood with her arms crossed as she glared at the doors. She was so distracted by her irritation that she didn't even notice the man standing next to her.

"Fancy running into you, Ginny Weasley," he said, startling her, and she almost jumped a foot in the air. Turning, she met a startlingly familiar green gaze and easy grin.

"Oh. Hello, Cormac," she said once she recognised him. "I didn't expect to find you lurking around the Magical Accidents office. Shouldn't you be up on level one with the rest of the high-brow politicians?"

He leant against the wall and grinned at her, looking incredibly handsome. "My job would be rather boring if I was trapped with those stiffs all of the time, don't you think?"

She smiled back at him, half-forgetting her farce of a Committee meeting. "Ah, so you're considering a career change. I can't say I blame you, wanting to get away from those lavish lunch meetings."

"Entertaining those foreign dignitaries is a tough gig, but someone has to do it."

"Well, feel free to transfer to the Muggle Liaison office, because we're going to be severely understaffed after I finish offing the majority of the department this afternoon."

"I'll have to reconsider my options," Cormac said, just as the lift announced it's arrival with a loud 'ding'. "I definitely wouldn't mind working under you."

Ginny felt a hot blush creep across her cheeks, and she was in the middle of formulating a neutral-sounding response when someone interrupted their conversation. "I don't think you'd enjoy working under Ginny," Draco said as he strode out of the lift, expression smug. "She really can crack that whip."

Cormac offered Draco a tense smile, and Ginny felt terribly awkward between the two men - not that that was enough to suppress her fury over Draco's gall. "Malfoy, could I have a _word_," she said tightly, taking his arm in a tight grip. She offered a brief apology to Cormac before pulling Draco aside, toward the conference rooms and away from prying eyes.

"You have a surprisingly tight grip," he told her once she let go.

Ginny scowled at him, arms crossed. "Really? That's all you have to say to me?"

"Not your usual type, is he?" Draco remarked, nodding his head to where Cormac had just boarded a lift, seeming somewhat bewildered. "If you want to take a walk on the wild side, at least do it properly."

"You are _unbelievable_," Ginny scoffed. "That's none of your business."

Draco raised a brow. "If you're going to let Cormac McLaggen flirt with you shamelessly then you should probably do it outside of the office."

Infuriated, Ginny threw her hands into the air. "Why? So you can _stalk_ me, then exaggerate my incredibly dull love-life to all of my colleagues the next day, like you usually do?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. If the men you went out with weren't so incredibly dull, I'm sure you'd be having as marvellous a time as the rest of us." Draco had the audacity to smirk at her.

She felt her eye twitch. "So who should I be dating then, Draco?"

"Me, of course."

If Ginny hadn't been so furious, she might have burst out laughing. "Can you please be bloody serious for once?"

Draco crossed his arms, expression flat. "Am I not communicating my seriousness clearly enough to you? We'd make a great match."

"That's _enough_," she pointed down the hallway. "Get in that god-damn meeting room. You better hope that the rest of the committee has arrived or I'll have Luna turn your bollocks into a pair of earrings and wear them to the Christmas party!"

He stared at her silently, as though assessing exactly how mad she was, and he must have seen that she was at the end of her tether because he turned and walked down the hall without a word.

Ginny eyed his broad shoulders as he retreated, so angry she wanted to smack him. But, more than that, she was unbelievably embarrassed over everything that had transpired today - even though she knew full-well she had nothing to be embarrassed about. What she did was nobody's business except her own, and she didn't want to care what anyone else thought of her, but... Well, she couldn't help it. So, clearly if Ginny wanted to gain a little respect around here, she'd have to make some sacrifices - namely, her proactive attempts to find happiness.

It was all so unfair, though. _Draco _didn't give a flying pygmypuff what anyone thought of him, and people seemed to respect him anyway; people just thought she was a loud, crazy bint when she embraced a similar attitude. Her eyes dropped to his firm, well-rounded bottom, and she tilted her head to the side. If her bum looked as good as that in a pair of trousers she probably wouldn't care what anyone thought of her, either.

Draco suddenly turned, startling her, and she blushed bright red as her head snapped up to meet his gaze.

His stoic expression shifted, the signature smirk returning with more ego than ever. "My prayers have been answered; Everyone's waiting," he said, and she flushed even deeper when he gestured to his crotch. "Are you coming, Weasley?"

Ginny pinched the bridge of her nose, as she felt her fledgling headache turn into a migraine. "If only," she muttered under her breath, then followed him in.

"Glad you all could join me," Ginny said sarcastically as she came through the door, giving pointed looks to all committee members present. They glanced at her sheepishly, well aware whatever amusing joke they'd been attempting had backfired. Meanwhile, Draco lounged at his seat at the head of the table, smirk still firmly in place.

**xxxx**

Four hours later, Ginny fell onto her battered old lounge, clutching a bottle of fire whiskey as though it were the only thing keeping her from floating into the ether. Monday was done and dusted, thank Merlin, and starting tomorrow she would channel all her power into demanding the respect of her coworkers.

But tonight she was in mourning for her tragic love life, which she was being forced to put to bed after a short, unfulfilling career - for now, at least.

"Do svidaniya," she toasted, and took a hard swig from her bottle.

So she was probably going to be alone for the rest of her life. Who cared? She had family, and friends, and she could work her way to the top at the Ministry if she put her mind to it. But a great job wasn't going to give her good company, and it certainly wasn't going to keep her warm at night.

Ginny pulled the familiar, worn piece of parchment from her pocket and held it in front of her, pressing the tip of the wand to the paper. She could hear it whispering to her, almost as though it were possessed with a piece of her soul, urging her not to destroy the tattered thing. But, if Ginny was really serious about sorting things out at work, she had to give up dating, and the best way to do that would be to get rid of the thing that enabled her the most: her dating profile. Still, Ginny was reluctant to destroy the thing. Was giving up on love really the answer to her problems? Everyone else seemed to think so, but for some reason she just wasn't convinced.

Instead of burning the paper to ash as she'd intended, she looked at her match preferences with a frown. Appearance? Dull. Occupation? Dull. Interests? Dull, dull, dull. It sickened her to admit it, but Draco was right. How many Harry's had she dated over the last few months? It didn't matter that these men were so dependable, or anything else; at the end of the day they were never what she needed... And Ginny needed someone who challenged her.

She thought about Cormac McLaggen, and his unsubtle flirtation earlier that day. _He_ was definitely interested... But Ginny wondered if that interest was a matter of convenience, following the blast memo Draco had sent out that morning. Either way, she was sure he just wasn't right for her, or as different from Harry as people seemed to think.

Ginny though back to Draco's unwarranted remarks from that afternoon. _'If you want to take a walk on the wild side, at least do it properly'_. Well, she supposed he knew what he was talking about. He was Draco Malfoy, after all, and he'd been dead on in his assessment of her love life - though it grated her to admit it. Maybe Draco had held the solution to her dating problems all along?

_Ridiculous,_ she thought snidely, as she lifted the bottle for another sip - though, as the cool glass met her lips she paused. Draco had already given her a solution, but she'd brushed him aside. He was an absolute pain to deal with, but would he go far enough to compromise himself in his attempts to rile her up? Absolutely not.

So, Draco Malfoy had asked her out, and she'd threatened to remove his testicles. Splendid.

Ginny quickly dropped her mostly-untouched bottle onto the coffee table, and raced across to the fireplace to grab a handful of floo powder. "Malfoy Manor," she managed to say clearly, throwing the powder to the ground, and as emerald green flames raced over her body she couldn't help her smirk. She'd apologise for threatening his manhood first, then make him pay for her horrible day afterwards; after all, she couldn't start a healthy relationship without teaching him a lesson or two.

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**Prompt 2:** "My reputation grows with every failure." - George Bernard Shaw


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